114-531: Thirroul ( / θ ə r ʊ l / ) is a northern seaside suburb of the city of Wollongong , Australia . Situated between Austinmer and Bulli , it is approximately 13 kilometres north of Wollongong, and 73 km south of Sydney . It lies between the Pacific Ocean and a section of the Illawarra escarpment known as Lady Fuller Park, adjacent to Bulli Pass Scenic Reserve. After European settlement had grown in
228-407: A State Conservation Area and local scenic protection zoning, and provides the visual backdrop to the city. In the north the escarpment meets the coastline, and north of this the coastal road Lawrence Hargrave Drive hugs the cliff line. The unstable geology of the escarpment resulted in rockfalls, forcing the closure of the road. Subsequently, part of Lawrence Hargrave Drive was replaced in 2005 by
342-643: A chapter ("Nightmare") describing the Somers' experiences in wartime St Ives, Cornwall , vivid descriptions of the Australian landscape, and Richard Somers' sceptical reflections on fringe politics in Sydney . Ultimately, after being initially somewhat drawn to the right-wing Digger movement led by Benjamin Cooley (aka 'Kangaroo') neither it nor the "great general emotion" of Kangaroo himself appeal to Somers. Similarly, Somers rejects
456-441: A coke works at Wollongong Harbour in the 1870s. He erected two beehive coke ovens between the north eastern end of the basin and Pulpit Rock. The ovens were demolished in 1892. The remains of the coke ovens were uncovered and recovered and are now preserved beneath the hill, with a plaque explaining their history. In 1871 the old lighthouse was completed. Nevertheless, in 1881 a British clipper , Queen of Nations , ran ashore off
570-714: A distinctly multicultural population. Many migrants were attracted to the area by the job opportunities at the Port Kembla steelworks in the post-war period , and settled in surrounding suburbs such as Cringila , Warrawong and Coniston . By 1966 about 60% of the wage earners at the Australian Iron and Steel steelworks were born overseas coming from over 100 countries. These included British , Irish , Macedonians , Spaniards , Portuguese , Greeks , Italians , Arabs , Russians , Bosnians , Croatians , Serbians , Germans , Turks , Lebanese , Chileans and Brazilians . With
684-559: A feat Lawrence accomplished at the average rate of 3,100 words per day. Davis’ subsequent work D.H. Lawrence and the Mussolini of Austinmer , offers what he calls a “detailed debunking of the myth that D. H. Lawrence ever encountered members of some so-called ‘Old Guard’ in NSW”. Kangaroo's minor character, James Sharpe is said to have been based on the music critic and composer Cecil Gray . Kangaroo has influenced Australian historiography to
798-604: A heritage building. The construction of the rail link also created an increase in tourism for Thirroul. It became a popular family seaside holiday destination with boarding houses and holiday cottages in demand. Two known early residents include Samuel McCauley and Frederick Robbins. McCauley was one of the oldest residents of the Illawarra district when he died in June 1899 in Thirroul. A street in Thirroul has been named McCauley street. Robbins
912-412: A locomotive workshop, a coal export shipping terminal, a grain export shipping terminal and an industrial gases manufacturing plant. In 1936, the new Wollongong Lighthouse was finished on Flagstaff Point. In 1942 Wollongong was proclaimed a City. In 1947 City of Greater Wollongong was formed. In 1954 the population of Wollongong was 90,852. In 1956 new Wollongong City Council Chambers were opened. In 1961
1026-482: A military barracks was constructed near the harbour. Further settlers arrived and in 1834 a town was planned. On 26 November 1834, the town was first gazetted and George Brown erected the first court house. The main road down the Escarpment through Bulli Pass was built by convict labour in 1835–6, although other passes were built during the 19th century as well, such as O'Briens Road and Rixons Pass. By 1856 Wollongong had
1140-515: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: The city of Wollongong has a distinct geography. It lies on a narrow coastal plain flanked by the Tasman Sea to the east and a steep sandstone precipice known as the Illawarra Escarpment to the west. The coastal plain is widest in the south and narrowest in the north, with the city centre located about midway. South of the city centre but within
1254-681: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: The town's major commercial area lies between an area just north of Bulli Pass, where the Princes Highway splits to form the Lawrence Hargrave Drive , to Thirroul Station , over the bridge and past the main centre and the Anita's Theatre building. Supermarkets include a Coles and IGA . Thirroul is steadily growing in population, and many new shops are added regularly. Many cafes now exist in Thirroul's main commercial area, adding to its popularity as
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#17328588867551368-623: A pedestrian walkway/café was built connecting the buildings in an above ground bridge. In 2000, as part of the Sydney Olympics, the Olympic torch was carried through Wollongong as part of its journey. In 2001, the population of Wollongong reached 181,612 people. In 2004 the Wollongong City Gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2005 Qantas established a daily air service from Wollongong to Melbourne that lasted till 2008. In 2006/2007,
1482-531: A population of 864. In 1858, a court house was built. In 1861, a horse-drawn tramway from Mount Keira to the harbour was completed. In 1862 a telegraph line was opened between Wollongong and Bellambi . In 1865 the first gas supply in Wollongong was provided from a gas plant in Corrimal Street. In 1868 the extensions to the harbour were opened by Lady Belmore and named Belmore Basin. Patrick Lahiff established
1596-537: A seaside holiday town. Thirroul has many fashion, gift and lifestyle shops along the main streets. Thirroul is also home to King's Theatre (1913), which underwent large-scale renovations in 2006/2007 and was renamed to Anita's Theatre by the developer John Comelli, in honour of his late wife. Anita's Theatre was for sale as of May 2010 but was purchased for 1.05 million dollars in 2011 by a Balgownie business man. The boutique clothing and jewellery shops, florists, supermarkets, news agencies and other shopping essentials make it
1710-483: A separate company, now known as BlueScope . The steelworks has grown to become a world-class flat rolled steel producer, operating as a fully integrated steel plant with a production of around 5 million tonnes per year. Other industries to have set up in the massive Port Kembla industrial complex—the largest single concentration of heavy industry in Australia—include a fertiliser plant, an electrolytic copper smelter,
1824-558: A significant influence on Kangaroo ’s plot. In the Black Curtain , as in Kangaroo , the story reaches its dramatic peak when a mob of Diggers storms a socialist meeting. Historian Joseph Davis in D.H. Lawrence at Thirroul (1989) pointed out it was not possible Lawrence could have had time for secret meetings with political leaders in Sydney, since he was too busy writing his novel in Thirroul,
1938-525: A tram. Kangaroo (novel) Kangaroo is a 1923 novel by D.H. Lawrence . It is set in Australia. Kangaroo is an account of a visit to New South Wales by an English writer named Richard Lovat Somers and his German wife Harriet in the early 1920s. It was written in six and a half weeks during Lawrence and his wife Frieda ’s eleven week stay in the NSW coastal town of Thirroul in 1922. The novel includes
2052-470: A very small portion of Kiama being in the far southern suburbs of the city. The city of Wollongong has traditionally voted for the centre-left Labor Party over the centre-right Liberal Party . Labor holds both of the two federal seats mostly or entirely located in Wollongong, as well as all four of the state seats that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong. However, the Liberal Party has held
2166-424: A ‘strongly auto-biographical’ novel: "reflecting the almost daily flow of Lawrence’s thoughts and impressions while in Australia. Richard Somers, the restless hero, is a barely disguised picture of Lawrence, as Harriet, his wife, is of Frieda, and many of the domestic incidents are drawn directly from their Australian experience. Described by Lawrence as a ‘thought-adventure’, the novel's apparent formlessness expresses
2280-460: Is Tania Brown who was elected in 2024. The Wollongong area extends from Helensburgh in the north to Windang and Yallah in the south. Geologically, the city is located in the south-eastern part of the Sydney basin , which extends from Newcastle to Nowra . Wollongong is noted for its heavy industry , its port activity and the quality of its physical setting, occupying a narrow coastal plain between an almost continuous chain of surf beaches and
2394-500: Is a major station on the NSW TrainLink South Coast line . Although not as important as in steam days, it is the major station between Wollongong and the Sydney metropolitan area. Local Wollongong suburban services terminate at Thirroul, while all Intercity services stop at Thirroul, both express and all stations trains. In 2005, the station was equipped with lifts. Thirroul retains a number of passing / refuge sidings for
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#17328588867552508-783: Is a successful community event, was the idea of Don Gray. The first festival was run in 1993. Lynne Jones organised the Festival for many years, building to the point where it was handed over to the Lions Club. Another community event was "the Growing Green Kids Festival' – a not-for-profit event which was the brain-child of resident Cate Wilson (1948–2012). Cate was also President of the Thirroul Action Group (TAG) - an environmental group which has functioned for around 30 years. Residents concerned about health risks picketed against
2622-417: Is also available via satellite. Of the three main commercial networks: The region receives five ABC radio services – ABC Illawarra 97.3FM, Triple J 98.9, and Radio National 1431 AM, ABC Classic FM 95.7 and Newsradio 90.9FM. There are two commercial radio stations i98FM 98.1 and WAVE FM 96.5 – formerly 2WL, and two community radio stations Vox FM 106.9 and Christian broadcaster 94.1 FM. On
2736-465: Is an easy commute from Thirroul to Sydney CBD by train. This has made it a popular destination for city dwellers looking for a ‘sea-change’. Thirroul has many well-proportioned housing blocks. These are either being re-developed, or dual-occupied, increasing housing density in the Suburb. This has put pressure on the road infrastructure. Lawrence Hargrave Drive is the only through road in the northern suburbs of
2850-512: Is continuing to grow with a population growth of 3.1% for the period 2001 to 2006, although the supply of new residential land is limited by the geography particularly in the northern suburbs. The west Dapto area is a major centre of future growth with plans for 19,000 new dwellings and 50,000 people within 40 years. New residential areas are also being developed further south around the Albion Park , Shell Cove and Kiama areas. Wollongong has
2964-412: Is just below the subtropical isotherm of 22 °C (72 °F). The highest recorded temperature is 44.1 °C on 1 January 2006, and the lowest 0.8 °C on 27 July 1986. Annually, Wollongong receives 107.4 clear days. Rainfall is spread through the months but has a bias to the first half of the year. It is often associated with orographic lift caused by the escarpment and its exposed location on
3078-540: Is located in the Thirroul Beach Park. Coal mining operations began at the start of the 20th century and miners needed residences, though logging had been occurring before for some time. The world-famous English author, D. H. Lawrence visited Thirroul in 1922 and wrote the novel Kangaroo about Australian fringe politics after the First World War whilst there. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, his house Wyewurk
3192-420: Is non-profit and affiliated with NSW Swimming. Thirroul District Cricket Club was established in 1896. It is believed the original home ground was the current site of Slacky Flat, before games moved to Gibson Park in the early 1900s. In 1976/77, Woonona Cricket Club folded and merged with Thirroul Cricket Club. In the mid-1990s, the unenviable decision to relocate the club's home ground to Hollymount Park, Woonona
3306-539: Is ongoing, and included a 24/7 picket for five years before an arson attack, and a continuing Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Resident Jill Walker has been heroic in taking Stockland and the Minister for Planning to both the Land and Environment and Supreme Courts over a number of outstanding non-Aboriginal environmental issues relating to the development. It is also the starting/finishing point to the bike track that runs south to Wollongong,
3420-400: Is popular with both locals and tourists, becoming particularly busy in summer months and long weekends. The beach is 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long and backed by a large, grassy reserve. Swimming can be potentially hazardous because of permanent and shifting rips. The beach is patrolled in summer and a 50 metres (160 feet) ocean pool is located near the beach. The Thirroul Surf Lifesaving Club
3534-472: Is separated from Thirroul Beach proper by rock platforms and is a popular off-leash dog beach. Thirroul is an exposed beach and reef break , and has reliable surf all year. The most desirable wind for surfing there is offshore winds from the west north-west. Most of the surf comes from |groundswells, with the best swell direction the south-east. The beach break provides for both left and right-handers. Caution should be taken with rips, rocks, sharks and, during
Thirroul, New South Wales - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-542: Is the earliest Australian bungalow to show the influence of the Californian Bungalow style of architecture. He gave this description of the town: "... The town trailed down from the foot of the mountain towards the railway, a huddle of grey and red painted iron roofs. Then over the rail line towards the sea, it began again in a spasmodic fashion ... There were wide unmade roads running straight as to go nowhere, with little bungalow homes ... Then quite near
3762-571: Is the network's largest campus, and it offers a variety of courses. Wollongong has one university, the University of Wollongong , which was formerly part of the University of New South Wales . The university was awarded the "Australian University of the Year" in two consecutive years (1999–2000, 2000–2001) by the Good Universities Guide, and is internationally recognised. It has two main campuses:
3876-647: The Advertiser incorporating Lake Times and Kiama Independent . Wollongong and the Illawarra region are serviced by three commercial television networks – WIN Television , the Seven Network and Southern Cross 10 . The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) also broadcast television services to Wollongong. In addition to these channels, ten new channels broadcasting in are also available in Wollongong and
3990-480: The Dharawal Indigenous Australians . The first Europeans to visit the area were the navigators George Bass and Matthew Flinders , who landed at Lake Illawarra in 1796. The first settlers in the region were cedar cutters in the early nineteenth century, followed by graziers in 1812. Charles Throsby established a stockman's hut in the area in 1815. The first land grants were made in 1816. In 1830,
4104-514: The Fascist allusions in Kangaroo to Lawrence’s 1920-1921 experiences in Italy. Australian journalist Robert Darroch – in several articles in the late 1970s, the book D.H. Lawrence in Australia (Macmillan, 1981) and the self-published book The Horrible Paws: D. H. Lawrence’s Australian Nightmare (Svengali Press, 2019) – claims that the ‘secret army’ of Diggers featured in Kangaroo must have existed at
4218-518: The Greenhouse Park . At the 2016 census , the suburb of Wollongong had a population of 18,442. The CBD is a major commercial hub containing many department stores and specialty shops, offices, and entertainment venues. It is centred on the Crown Street Mall and Wollongong Central , and approximates the area bounded by Market, Corrimal, and Burelli streets and the railway line . Surrounding
4332-505: The Sea Cliff Bridge just off the coast, crossing the submerged rock shelf. The bridge carries both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Illawarra railway line must go through several tunnels to reach the Sydney metropolitan area. The Southern Freeway and Princes Highway provide alternative inland routes, descending the escarpment further south at Bulli Pass or at Mount Ousley , entering just north of Wollongong's city centre. To
4446-474: The University of Wollongong and exits at its southern fringe. A second freeway, Memorial Drive (formerly the Northern Distributor), continues northward from the university to connect Wollongong's northern suburbs, Bulli Pass and the scenic Lawrence Hargrave Drive . If one continues up Bulli Pass one will either merge onto The M1 towards Sutherland and Sydney or B69 towards Campbelltown and
4560-676: The "A. M. (Albert Memorial) Hospital", which opened in 1864 and closed when the Wollongong Hospital opened in 1907 on Garden Hill. In 1916 the Wollongong High School was opened. Heavy industry was attracted to the region by the ready availability of coal. In 1928, Hoskins, later Australian Iron & Steel, started a steelworks at Port Kembla, a few kilometres south of Wollongong. The former Broken Hill Proprietary Company (now BHP after merging with Billiton plc) acquired AI&S in 1935, but has since spun-out their steel division as
4674-508: The 17th of November 2021 the board game Monopoly launched a 'Wollongong' Edition. It showcases a number of Wollongong attractions including: Nan Tien Temple , Mount Keira , and the Sea Cliff Bridge . The main road connecting Wollongong is the M1 Princes Motorway (formerly the F6). The motorway, part of National Route 1, descends the escarpment via Mount Ousley Road to enter the city near
Thirroul, New South Wales - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-635: The 1860s, the town was first called North Bulli, until it was renamed Robbinsville in 1880 after a local landowner, Frederick Robbins. In 1887 the Railways Department opened a railway station in the town, and in 1892 officially adopted the name Thirroul. The source for this suggestion was probably Archibald Campbell , then owner and editor of the Illawarra Mercury , who was interested in Indigenous languages. His original manuscript transcription of
4902-651: The 1930s and was committed to the production of Australian writing evoking 'spirit of place', P.R. Stephensen having argued in The foundations of Culture in Australia (1936) that “visitors, such as D. H. Lawrence, have discerned a spiritual quality of ancient loveliness in our land itself.” Kangaroo was adapted as a film, also called Kangaroo , in 1987, featuring Colin Friels as Somers, Judy Davis as Harriet and Hugh Keays-Byrne as Kangaroo. Novelist Margaret Barbalet , in her fiction Steel Beach , (Penguin, 1988) imagined what
5016-423: The 1980s, many of these industrial installations still exist. The city's economy is, however, on the rebound, thanks to diversification of economic activity including higher education, the fine arts , tourism, residential construction and eco-friendly electricity generation ; however, the city's economy still relies primarily on heavy industry, and will continue to in the near future. Various meanings are given for
5130-514: The 2003 Illawarra tourism Award in the events/festivals category. Involved in organising the event is the Austimer-Thirroul Lions Club. The festival actively involves community organisations, educational institutions, sporting groups, performing and visual art studios, scouts, surf lifesavers and the general public. In the 2021 census , there were 6,348 people in Thirroul. 80.2% of residents were born in Australia compared to 74.9% for
5244-554: The Aboriginal word ' Wollongong' including 'seas of the South', ' great feast of fish' , 'hard ground near water', 'song of the sea' ' sound of the waves' 'many snakes' and ' five islands'. In 2024, the wreck of a coal ship was discovered by accident, off the coast of Wollongong. The ship the SS Nemesis was sailing from Wollongong to Melbourne and it sank nearly 120 years ago. Wollongong has
5358-435: The Aboriginal word for the cabbage tree palm which flourished in the area was Dthirrawell . In 1892, Port Kembla Aboriginal elder William Sadler said that the word Thirroul was meaningless. The proper term must be, he claimed, throon , referring to the bush leeches collected near the town. A local historian, Joseph Davis, cleared up the confusion in 1994, revealing that Campbell's original manuscript transliteration of
5472-472: The CBD lies a mixture of parks, reserves, light commercial property, houses and multi-story residential units. Multi-story housing is evident particularly on Smith's Hill, north-east of the CBD, reflecting the popularity of combining inner-city living, coastal views and a beachside lifestyle. To the east of the city lies Flagstaff Point, a rocky headland with eroded low cliffs topped by a grassy hill. The northern side of
5586-609: The Greens having three and the remaining two seats being held by independents Andrew Anthony and Ryan Morris. The City of Shellharbour has an indirectly elected Mayor (currently independent Chris Homer ) and eight councillors: four generic independents, three Labor councillors and one councillor from the Kellie Marsh Independent Team . There are two campuses of the Illawarra Institute of TAFE . The Wollongong Campus
5700-559: The IWFA's 4 competitions: Premier / Reserve Grade, Division 1 and Over 30s. Football (soccer) is played at the southern end of the local Thomas Gibson Park and rugby league is held at the northern end which has a large grandstand. Thirroul is also part of the Northern Suburbs Netball Club. The Thirroul Amateur Swimming Club has been operating in Thirroul since 1954. Swim nights are conducted weekly between October and March. The club
5814-563: The Illawarra Performing Arts Centre ( IPAC ), across the road on Burelli Street. IPAC was officially opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1988. A sculpture recognizing Lawrence Hargrave was placed via helicopter on the eastern foothills of Mount Keira . In 1998 the 6000 seat Wollongong Entertainment Centre was opened. In 1999, the Gateway and Crown Central mall buildings were unified as Wollongong Central and
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#17328588867555928-505: The Illawarra. The increased dwelling density is seeing a growth in congestion on the main arterial route. Wollongong, New South Wales Wollongong ( / ˈ w ʊ l ə n ɡ ɒ ŋ / WUUL -ən-gong ; Dharawal : Woolyungah ) is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales , Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language , meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound of
6042-572: The Somers’ neighbour. Historian, Barbara Kearns, in a centenary review of the novel, contests Darroch’s argument and points out that Lawrence arrived in Sydney with all the material needed to create his ‘thought adventure’. She traces the source of background details for several of Kangaroo ’s key characters, to known contacts of Lawrence in Cornwall. She also cites the novel The Black Curtain , by Douglas Goldring , dedicated to Lawrence in 1920, as having had
6156-718: The Southern Highlands has since been replaced with a coach service. Wollongong railway station is the city's main train station, and serves Wollongong's CBD. Freight services connect Sydney markets with Port Kembla and the Manildra Group factory at Bomaderry . The Southern Highlands line is used primarily for freight, providing an important bypass for Sydney's congested rail network. Route services in Wollongong are provided by Premier Illawarra and Dion's Bus Service who also provide school/charter services together with some other companies. Wollongong railway station serves as
6270-480: The Tasman Sea, which makes it more prone to moist easterlies. A significant flood event occurred on 18 August 1998 when Wollongong recorded 316 mm of rainfall (the nearby suburb of Mt Ousley recorded in excess of 445 mm), mostly falling in a 3-hour period. Wollongong also experiences thunderstorms during the warmer months bringing lightning , heavy rain and occasionally hail . July and August are known as
6384-558: The Telstra phone tower in 1997. Storms and floods severely affected the Thirroul area in August 1998. In August 2007, Thirroul's CBD and beach was declared an alcohol-free zone as a council initiative to prevent public drinking on streets and footpaths within the designated area. In 2011 Thirroul resident Don Gray released a self-published book of his memories called My Thirroul illustrated by local artist, Christine Hill. A children's playground
6498-537: The Wollongong Local Government LGA. The next most common countries of birth in Thirroul were England at 6.0% and New Zealand at 1.7%. In addition, 90.2% of the Thirroul population only spoke English in the home, compared with 79.8% for the Wollongong LGA. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 48.9%, Catholic 22.1% and Anglican 12.9%. The median weekly household income for Thirroul
6612-664: The Wollongong University College was established. In 1963, the Wollongong Teachers College was established. In 1965 the Westfield shopping centre at Figtree opened. In 1985, the railway line was electrified to Wollongong, and in 1993 to Dapto. In 1986 the Wollongong Mall was completed. For a short while, trams (trackless trains) were used in the mall, though this ceased due to dangers involved. The mall
6726-555: The Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track. The escarpment area is rich in its variety of birdlife. Recorded birds in the northern suburbs of Wollongong include the Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Sea Eagle and the Brown Gerygone. Sporting teams have been a prominent part of Thirroul history and the "working class" people that established the village. Many of the existing sporting clubs having history dating back to
6840-542: The Wollongong-based state seat of Heathcote multiple times (including for 12 consecutive years from the Coalition 's 2011 landslide victory until Labor's return to power in 2023 , note that redistribution made Heathcote a notional Labor seat as it moved south to included more of Wollongong and less of southern Sydney). However, even in 2011 (when Labor suffered the worst defeat of a sitting New South Wales government in
6954-516: The area were loggers, who from around 1812 cut down some of many of the cedars in the area and shipped them to Sydney. People started to settle there in the 1860s, mostly on the hilly area as the coast was flood-prone. Occupations consisted of farming, cedar logging, whaling and fruit growing and eventually mining when the Bulli Mine was opened in 1859 and the Bulli Jetty which shipped the coal from
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#17328588867557068-453: The building was converted into a roller-skating rink and opened as Skateland. It remained open as such until the mid-1990s. In 2003, businessman John Comelli purchased the derelict building, and undertook extensive refurbishment to convert it back into a theatre. In 2007 it reopened as Anita's Theatre, to commemorate Comelli's deceased wife. Since then it has operated as a live performance venue, hosting concerts and live music. In June 2011
7182-717: The busiest commuter corridors in Australia. Two federal divisions in the House of Representatives are mostly or entirely located in Greater Wollongong: Cunningham and Whitlam , with a very small portion of Gilmore being in the far southern suburbs of the city. On the state level, there are four electoral districts of the Legislative Assembly that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong: Heathcote , Keira , Shellharbour and Wollongong , with
7296-414: The centre of population", to the Department of Education for the purpose of building a school and teacher's residence. The school subsequently opened in 1889 with 154 children on the roll. Thirroul Public School is located in Roxburgh Avenue. Thirroul also has a Thirroul Scout Group as part of the Scout Association of Australia, NSW Branch. In June 2009, the new Thirroul District Library and Community centre
7410-472: The city an undulating character. The coastal strip is traversed by several short but flood-prone and fast-flowing streams and creeks such as Fairy Creek (Para Creek), Cabbage Tree Creek, Allans Creek, Nostaw Ravine, Jimbob Creek, Mullet Creek and Macquarie Rivulet . The coastline consists of many beaches characterised by fine pale gold-coloured sands; however, these beaches are sometimes interrupted by prominent and rocky headlands, such as Tego Rock, jutting into
7524-570: The city. The newer Wollongong Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1936 atop the Flagstaff Hill and is still used in the early 21st century. Belmore Basin houses the commercial fishing fleet and Fisherman's Co-op, while the main harbour shelters private vessels. The main beaches of central Wollongong are North Wollongong (or simply North [gong]) Beach, extending from the harbour up to the Fairy lagoon and Puckeys Estate Reserve , and Wollongong City Beach, extending south from Flagstaff Point and into Coniston Beach. The Wollongong metropolitan area includes
7638-406: The cliffline of the rainforest-covered Illawarra escarpment. It has two cathedrals, churches of many denominations and the Nan Tien Temple . Wollongong has a long history of coal mining and industry. The city attracts many tourists each year and is a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. The University of Wollongong has around 38,000 students. The area was originally inhabited by
7752-463: The early settlement. Thirroul is represented in the Tooheys Illawarra Rugby League by the Thirroul Butchers . The Butchers were established in 1913. The Thirroul Butchers attract crowds between 500 and 1500 a game, depending on their opponents. Thirroul is also home to the Thirroul Junior Football Club (TJFC). The club consists of many male & female junior teams ranging from under 6's to under 18's, 4 senior women's sides and 3 senior men's. In 2002
7866-547: The end of the White Australia policy these were followed by Indo-Chinese refugees in the 1970s, Indians , Filipinos , Chinese , Japanese , Malaysians , Singaporeans , Koreans , Vietnamese , Cambodians , and Pacific Islanders in the 1980s and 1990s. The University of Wollongong continues to attract students and staff from all over the world, with around 5,000 overseas student enrolments and countless overseas professors working there. Around 20,000 people commute daily to jobs in Sydney by road and rail , making it one of
7980-448: The extent that Historian Andrew Moore - following Darroch - has cited the novel as evidence of a missing link in a continuum of ‘secret counterrevolutionary organisations’ in NSW, between the farmers armies of 1917 and Campbell's 'Old Guard’ of 1931, collectively termed by Moore ‘The Old Guard.’ Kangaroo was partly responsible for inspiring the Jindyworobak movement , an Australian nationalist literary group, that emerged in
8094-399: The first senior women's football side was entered into the local IWSA competition, that team went on to finish third in their inaugural season. The first senior men's side, the Thunder, was established for the 2008 season. That same year the women's sides became affectionately known as: 'The Thunderbirds'. As of 2024 Thirroul is the only club in the Illawarra to enter a women's team into each of
8208-503: The flow of Somers's inner life; his attraction to and withdrawal from politics; his European memories; his concern with the fundamental question of authority in marriage, society and politics and with the attractions and dangers of democracy, fascism and socialism." Bruce Steele, in his explanatory notes for Kangaroo in the Cambridge edition of the Letters and Works of D. H. Lawrence , traces
8322-443: The greater Illawarra region. These channels include ABC HD , ABC Kids , ABC TV Plus , ABC Me , ABC News , 7HD , 7two , 7mate , 7flix , 7Bravo , 9HD , 9Go! , 9Gem , 9Life , 10 HD , 10 Bold , 10 Peach . Nickelodeon , SBS HD , SBS Viceland , SBS World Movies , SBS Food , NITV and SBS WorldWatch . In some areas it is also possible to pick up Sydney channels. Subscription Television service Foxtel (formerly Austar )
8436-595: The harbour. Gas street lighting was introduced in 1883. In 1885 a new court house was erected in Market Street. Like many Australian court houses, it was designed in a Classical Revival style considered appropriate for public buildings. It is now listed on the Register of the National Estate . In 1886 the first town hall was erected. The Illawarra Railway to Wollongong was completed in 1887, and now continues as far south as
8550-494: The inland, rose a great black wall of mountain or cliff ...". A park and a monument (dedicated 21 November 1998) commemorate D H Lawrence's time at Thirroul, located on the same street as the house he stayed in. The book D.H. Lawrence at Thirroul (1989), by Thirroul resident Joseph Davis, questioned many of the assumptions made by Robert Darroch in his 1981 work entitled D.H. Lawrence in Australia . The Cambridge edition of D.H. Lawrence 's novel Kangaroo tended to accept
8664-442: The known-to-have-been-excised pages from the Kangaroo manuscript could have contained, and evoked an extra-marital Lawrentian affair in Thirroul, complete with illegitimate son. Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe used extracts from the novel in his work for speaker and orchestra, The Fifth Continent (1963). It was recorded in 1963 by Fred Parslow , Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Thomas Matthews, and then again in 1997 with
8778-427: The library was renovated, including new facilities, as part of the tenth anniversary of the library's current site. Also at this time the beachfront was renovated with a new lookout and walkway upgrade. In June 2007, erosion was caused via storms to the beaches, the worst in 30 years. Despite the decline of traditional manufacturing and blue-collar industries due to the abandonment of protectionist economic policies in
8892-520: The local level, there are two Wollongong-based local government areas (LGAs): the City of Wollongong and the City of Shellharbour , with a very small portion of the Municipality of Kiama being located in the far southern suburbs of the city. The City of Wollongong is represented by a directly elected Lord Mayor (currently Tania Brown) and 12 councillors (four each per ward): with Labor having eight seats,
9006-668: The main shopping area for the northern suburbs of Wollongong. Thirroul also has a sub-branch of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL). Thirroul is part of the Northern Illawarra Chamber of Commerce, which was established in 1996 and is recognised as an official body by the Wollongong City Council. Its aim is to promote the identity of the Northern Illawarra in co-operation with local business owners,
9120-748: The many coal trains from Metropolitan Colliery and the western coalfields which pass through the town. Lawrence Hargrave Drive starts just south of Thirroul at the Princes Highway in Bulli and travels north through Thirroul, connecting with the Old Princes Highway and Southern Freeway at the Helensburgh exit. Thirroul beach is a prominent feature, as well as the backdrop of the 400 metres (1,300 feet) high escarpment, attracting many bush-walkers to northern Austinmer and surfers to both beaches. The beach
9234-453: The mine opened in 1863. The township was known as North Bulli until February 1880 when the name of Robbinsville was chosen. The new name was decided upon at a meeting of ten men (including Frederick Robbins) in George's Whitford's "big new House" (located on the site of today's Ryans Hotel) in 1880. One suggestion for a name for the place was "Mudmire" but somehow Robbins convinced the others to call
9348-459: The mouth of Towradgi Creek. Her cargo included 24,000 bottles of Hennessy Cognac . Local police and NSW Customs recovered at least 5,000 bottles, but others were looted by members of the public. The surviving part of the Queen of Nations wreck is only about 70 metres (230 ft) from the shore, in water only 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 ft) deep. From time to time, a violent storm uncovers part of
9462-597: The network's hub. A Bus Interchange is also located near Wollongong University. Services connect Wollongong suburbs to Shellharbour City Centre , Port Kembla , Campbelltown in Western Sydney and the Royal National Park as well as the Southern Highlands . There is also a Free Shuttle Bus service that connects the CBD, university and the suburbs of North Wollongong, Fairy Meadow and Gwynneville which acts as
9576-468: The northern area. Real estate prices have significantly increased in recent years. The price of a now near derelict house with ocean glimpses in Spray Street Thirroul increased from $ 80,000 in 1986 to selling for $ 1,560,000 on 7 May 2016 - an increase of some 1900%. Few employment opportunities exist in the suburb with much of the labour force commuting to Sydney for work. Thirroul railway station
9690-439: The point was excavated by convict labour to form Belmore Basin. This was later extended with the northern breakwater to create Wollongong Harbour. The area is the site of a historic colonial fort , several restored cannons and two lighthouses, a feature peculiar to the east coast of Australia. The older Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse located at the harbour entrance was made of wrought iron plates in 1871 and has become an icon of
9804-546: The primary campus on Northfields Avenue, and the Innovation Campus on Squires Way. The university's Sydney Business School also has a secondary campus in Sydney . Wollongong has a number of primary and high schools, including public, denominational and independent. Wollongong has one daily newspaper, The Illawarra Mercury , published and issued Monday to Saturday by Australian Community Media (ACM). Additionally, ACM publishes several free community newspapers, including
9918-551: The residents community, and government and tourism bodies to generate local business growth for the region. There are two primary schools, St. Michael's and Thirroul Public School. St. Michael's is a Catholic school that was established by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1940 and is located in Station Street. Thirroul Public school was established in 1889 after Frederick Robbins sold one acre of his land, "well situated and elevated, being
10032-435: The rest of Western Sydney . The Illawarra Highway connects Wollongong's southern suburbs to the Southern Highlands via Macquarie Pass . Wollongong is served by the Illawarra railway line . Passenger rail services on this line connect the centres of Nowra and Kiama to the south and Sydney to the north. A branch line connects suburbs between the CBD and Port Kembla . A passenger rail service connecting Wollongong to
10146-465: The sea'. Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres (53 miles) south of central Sydney . Wollongong had an estimated urban population of 302,739 at June 2018, making it the third-largest city in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle and the tenth-largest city in Australia by population . The city's current Lord Mayor
10260-481: The sea. In places these headlands have been excavated or extended to create artificial harbours at Wollongong, Port Kembla , Shellharbour and Kiama . Just off the coast south of Wollongong centre, near Port Kembla, lies a group of five islands known collectively as The Five Islands . The islands are a wildlife refuge. Wollongong has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), bordering on humid subtropical ( Cfa ) as its warmest month mean of 21.9 °C (71.4 °F)
10374-458: The socialism of Willie Struthers, with its emphasis on "generalised love". In this, the novel reflects Lawrence's own response to World War I, as Somers opts “To be clear of love, and pity, and hate. To be alone from it all. To cut himself finally clear from the last encircling arm of the octopus humanity. To turn to the old dark gods, who had waited so long in the outer dark.” The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature describes Kangaroo as
10488-510: The south the plain reaches its maximum extent around Albion Park where it incorporates a large coastal saltwater lagoon called Lake Illawarra , separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long sandy spit. The coastal strip consists of highly fertile alluvium , which made Wollongong so attractive to agriculturists in the nineteenth century. It contains many hills including the foothills of the escarpment's lower slopes, and while these generally do not exceed one hundred metres in height they give much of
10602-404: The south. It contains strata of coal measures, and the adit entrances to many coal mines have been established along the slopes of the escarpment throughout Wollongong. Suburbia encroaches on the escarpment's lower slopes in some areas, but the majority remains in a relatively natural state forested with dry sclerophyll and pockets of temperate rainforest . The escarpment is largely protected by
10716-559: The state's history and the Coalition won the largest majority government in the state's history), Labor still won every Wollongong-based seat except Heathcote, making the Illawarra the only region in the state where Labor won more seats than the Coalition. The last time the Liberals won a Wollongong-based state seat other than Heathcote was in 1968 , when the Coalition won the seat of Wollongong for one term before Labor regained it in 1971 . On
10830-452: The suburbs, outlying towns and rural localities stretching from Helensburgh in the north to Kiama in the south. According to the 2021 census , it had a population of 305,691 people. It is the third largest city in New South Wales and the tenth largest in Australia. Using 2006 ABS geography, around 89% of the statistical district's population reside in the built-up urban centre extending from Clifton to Shell Cove . Wollongong
10944-474: The summer, bluebottles. The Sandon Point Stockland development, has given rise to much controversy and conflict between developers and environmental and Aboriginal groups over Aboriginal heritage and coastal wetland and floodplain since 1989, is just south in Bulli. Dootch Kennedy, Al Oshlack and Karen Gough have co-ordinated a series of legal actions against the development's impact on Aboriginal heritage. This protest
11058-557: The term, Dthirrawell was almost illegible, and a clerk had misread and mistranscribed it as Thirroul . Before European settlement, the land on which Thirroul is located had been occupied for at least 20,000 years by a subgroup of the Dharawal (or Tharawal) people. The Wodiwodi people spoke a dialect of Tharawal . Cabbage-tree palms were once plentiful in the area and early white settlers harvested them to make strong fence posts. Stands of these trees are still visible on either side of Bulli Pass . The first Europeans to settle in
11172-451: The theatre was purchased for A$ 1.05 million by a consortium headed by Rennie Cristini. In 2013, the property sold for A$ 1.4 million.( Illawarra Mercury , 15 November 2013). In 2019, Midnight Oil launched their "The Final Tour" at Anita's Theatre. In July 2022, Live Nation Australia Venues Pty Ltd acquired the operations of Anita's Theatre, with a view to providing a good regional live music venue for Australian artists. Thirroul has
11286-472: The time of Lawrence’s arrival in NSW, as Lawrence was a realist writer who depended on personal experience for his material. Darroch posits Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal , a notable NSW World War I leader and co-founder of the NSW branch of the King and Empire League as model for Ben Cooley, and Major John Scott , D.S.O. associate of Rosenthal and 1931 Old Guard recruitment officer, as model for Jack Callcott,
11400-478: The town after himself. It only had a total population of 490 in 1891. In 1888 the rail link with Sydney was finished. Early construction workers on the railway caused a population increase, and the eastern side of the town progressed rapidly. The Thirroul Locomotive Depot opened in 1917. It closed in 1965 and only the barracks for the accommodation of the railway crews remain. The Railway Institute Hall (opened in 1920) where workers once studied has been classified as
11514-530: The town of Bomaderry on the Shoalhaven River . The navigator George Bass first documented the Illawarra coal deposits in 1797. There have been many coalmines in the district. Australia's worst coal mining disaster occurred in 1902, at the Mount Kembla mine when an explosion killed 94 men and boys, the youngest aged 14, the oldest 69. Two other men died attempting to rescue survivors. Survivors were treated at
11628-472: The urban area is Lake Illawarra, a large lagoon. Although Wollongong sits on the immediate coast, it lies on the same longitude as Greater Western Sydney . The escarpment ranges between 150 and 750 m (490 and 2,460 ft) above sea level, with locally famous mountains such as Mount Keira (464 m (1,522 ft)), Mount Kembla (534 m (1,752 ft)), Broker's Nose (440 m (1,440 ft)) and Mount Murray (768 m (2,520 ft)) to
11742-567: The views of Davis rather than those of Darroch. Michael Bialoguski , later to become a prominent player in the Petrov Affair (1954) and later still an orchestral conductor in the UK and Europe, had a medical practice in Thirroul in the late 1940s. The artist Brett Whiteley died from a heroin overdose in the Beachside Motel in Thirroul on 15 June 1992, aged 53. The Thirroul Village Committee (TVC)
11856-601: The windy months, with westerly gales that can gust at over 100 km/h. These are generally dry foehn winds from the Great Dividing Range , which are common at this time of the year in southeast Australia on the leeward side of the Ranges. The inner city area includes the suburbs of Wollongong and North Wollongong , extending from Fairy Meadow in the north, west to include the Wollongong Hospital , and south to
11970-558: The wreck. After one such storm in 1991, looting resumed, including of the Cognac. The Commonwealth Government quickly issued an order protecting the wreck under the then Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 . Since 2018 the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 has automatically protected the wreck and its contents, as they are more than 75 years old. In 1880 steam locomotives were introduced to haul coal from Mount Keira mine to
12084-616: Was $ 2,751, which is higher than the Wollongong LGA median of $ 2,151. Levels of qualification in Thirroul are also higher than the Wollongong LGA, with 60% of population completing tertiary education compared with an average of 47% across the LGA. Of the employed people in Thirroul, 4.0% worked in Higher Education. Other major industries of employment included Hospitals 5.0%, Secondary Education 3.3% and Primary Education 3.2%. Many former Sydneysiders have moved to Thirroul and now commute to work from
12198-501: Was a prominent resident who gave his name to the township of North Bulli as it was then called. He was made the first postmaster of Robbinsville in 1888 after, along with other residents, lobbying the government to supply a post office and railway platform. In 1898 the Amy was shipwrecked on the rocks at the southern end of Thirroul beach. All of its crew died. A memorial plaque to the Amy and her crew
12312-421: Was designed by renowned theatre architects Kaberry and Chard , and built for Wollongong Theatres in 1925. Officially opened on 22 October 1925, it accommodated an audience of 1,560, with 1,202 stalls seats, 248 circle seats, and four boxes along the side walls. The theatre was in continuous operation as a cinema until 1965 or 1966. In April 1968, after all seating had been removed and a flat concrete floor laid,
12426-468: Was established in 1907 as one of 14 foundation clubs in NSW. The SLSC is the home of the Thirroul Seagulls IRB ( inflatable rescue boat ) Racing Team, who have competed strongly for the last 15 years. Former Ironman champions Darren and Dean Mercer are from Thirroul and their parents still reside in the town. The southern end of Thirroul Beach is also known as McCauley's Beach. McCauley's Beach
12540-580: Was formed in 1983 because, in the words of Don Gray, "the town was looking rather tatty" and something needed to be done. Don was the founding chairperson and Lynne Jones, the founding Secretary. In 1983 the population of less than 5,000 qualified Thirroul as a village. In 1993 the TVC won the Basil Ryan gold award at the Rise & Shine Awards presentation for improved streetscapes. The Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival, which
12654-577: Was made and in 1996 the Senior division of the club underwent a name change from Thirroul Cricket Club to Northern Districts Cricket Club. Initially matches were played on the western turf pitch of Hollymount Park however in 2005 a new five (5) pitch turf wicket square was installed on the Eastern side of Hollymount Park and the Eastern clubhouse was redeveloped. The junior division of the club incorporates both names as Thirroul & Northern Districts Cricket Club. It
12768-433: Was opened by Wollongong Council with a plaque carrying their names on 4 July 2012. Some of the artwork evokes Gray's memories of an elephant stuck in the former Thirroul Beach lagoon on the current site of the playground – a story he recalled (and which Christine Hill illustrated) in his book. Gray died on 28 April 2013, aged 93 ( Illawarra Mercury , 30 April 2013). King's Theatre, located at 264-270 Lawrence Hargrave Drive,
12882-448: Was opened. This library offers email and word processing, inter-library loans, photocopying and printing, free Internet access and children's programs. The annual Thirroul Seaside & Arts Festival is held over a weekend in the first week of April. It includes activities such as art exhibitions and workshops, kids activities, live stage entertainment, buskers, a variety of stalls, pony and carnival rides and face painting. The festival won
12996-404: Was re-opened to traffic after the initial test but re-zoned a pedestrian area after and has remained one since. In 1987 the council chambers and library building were completed, replacing the old council building at the present art gallery site. The Crown Gateway Shopping Centre was completed. Wollongong Mall was opened. In 1988, the current council administration building was completed, as well as
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